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Emory Softball Battles Piedmont Before Losing Late In NCAA Salem Regional -- Ends Year At 42-5

Emory Softball Battles Piedmont Before Losing Late In NCAA Salem Regional -- Ends Year At 42-5
Posted: May 12, 2013

The third time wasn't a charm for the No. 4-ranked Emory softball team as it came up short in its third elimination game Sunday afternoon against Piedmont College at the NCAA Division III Salem Regional.  The Eagles dropped a wild 7-6 verdict to the Lions, ending the campaign with a record of 42-5.  Piedmont improved its record to 34-9 and will play No. 1 Salisbury Monday morning

In a game that saw the teams record a total of 26 hits, the Eagles were paced by the duo of junior Claire Bailey and sophomore Micah Scharff who combined to go 7-for-7 at the plate. Scharff hit safely in all three of her trips to the plate while scoring once and driving in one run.  Bailey posted a 4-for-4 hitting performance, her sixth effort of collecting two or more safeties in a game.  Junior Megan Light drove in a pair of runs and finished the season with 59 RBIs, the second-highest individual total in school history.  

Emory faced a 6-2 deficit heading into the top of the sixth before staging a dramatic rally that saw it deadlock the score.  After Bailey and freshman Alyssa opened the frame with back-to-back singles, junior Lauren Gorodetsky picked up an infield single that loaded the bases.  Freshman Katie Stout came to the plate in a pinch-hitting role and smacked the first pitch she saw into center field pushing across a pair of runs.  After a sacrifice by Ally Kersthold move Pollard to second, Scharff singled through the left side, scoring Gorodetsky and cutting the deficit to 6-5.  Light scored Pollard from third following her ground out and the game, tying the contest. 

However, the Lions regrouped and scored the go-ahead run when a two-out single to shallow center field by Megan Kesler allowed Olivia Duncan to scamper home.  A one-out single by the Eagles' Bailey in the bottom of the frame kept the team's hopes alive but Jordan Ellingson was able to get the final two outs to pick up her 18th win of the season.
 

Emory faced a 3-0 hole before scoring a pair of third-inning runs after the first two batters were out. Back-to-back walks to Kersthold and Scharff set the table for Light who stroked a single that scored Kersthold.  Freshman Hannah Sendel then came through with a single up the middle that pushed Scharff across the plate.   The Lions saw a bid to tack on another run stymied in their half of the frame when Gorodetsky gunned down Jamie Dennis at the plate after she tried for score from second base on a single. 

Piedmont upped its lead to 6-2 in the fourth when a double by Dennis scored two runs before she scored on the play as a result of a pair of Emory fielding miscues.  


Emory's win total is the second-highest seasonal showing in school annals, trailing only the 2002 squad's 43 triumphs.